Tell Them
by isaacswolfsbane
Summary: Almost a year after starting his relationship with Scorpius, Albus still hasn't told his parents that he's gay, so Scorpius decides it's time to convince him to come out.


**QLFC Round 5 - Mystery Box**

 **Cannons:** Next-Gen Box

 **Beater One:** Albus/Scorpius pairing

 **Prompts:**

1\. (quote) 'Let's face it; this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing' - Tony Stark, Iron Man

9\. (word) Dangerous

13\. (Phrase) 'Under lock and key'

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you to Poke, Annie and Queenie for betaing for me. You're all stars.

* * *

"Mum told me to come and ask— Oh!" Lily exclaimed, walking through the door to Scorpius' room.

Albus' attention snapped from Scorpius—who was currently planting kisses on his neck and trailing his hand down his stomach—to his little sister. He felt Scorpius freeze beside him.

"Lily," Albus said, trying to shake the obvious shock from his voice. Lily started talking before he could continue.

"You should really lock the door if you don't want anyone to walk in on you."

"Why? It's not like messing around with my boyfriend is the worst thing you've caught me doing." Albus laughed as he spoke, trying to make the situation less awkward.

"Wait, Al, you're _dating_ Scorpius? Oh, I knew there was something going on between you two; you go to bed earlier that usual every time he stays at our house. I mean, what sixteen-year-old goes to bed at 10pm? But _dating?_ I'm going to tell Mum, she'll make him sleep in the spare room next time he stays over."

"You wouldn't!"

Lily laughed. "Oh, I would. Have you still not told her you're gay? This is going to be hilarious."

"Lily, why are you acting like a total bitch?"

"Maybe I am a total bitch. Had you thought of that?"

Albus didn't know how to respond. Lily was acting incredibly strange, but he had no idea why. He watched as she flounced out of the room. The door swung shut behind her, but not before he heard a sob that was unmistakably coming from Lily. _Shit_ , Albus thought to himself, realisation washing over him. _Rose told me she has a crush on Scorpius._

Albus sat up, the good mood he and Scorpius had been in quickly disappearing. He gave Scorpius a quick kiss before throwing on a pair of jeans and t-shirt and racing out of the door.

"Lily, wait!" he called down the hall at her hastily retreating back.

"Don't, Al. Just leave it. I won't tell Mum," she spat back at him, her voice full of malice and tears streaming down her face.

"That wasn't… Lily, are you okay? I thought you knew Scorpius was gay."

"I did… I do. It's just… you could have told me! Or Rose could, she knew I had a crush on him. It just hurts that he chose my own brother over me, you know?" Lily laughed slightly, but Albus could tell it was forced. He walked over and wrapped her in a hug.

"Lils, you know it's not like that. There was no choosing; it just sort of happened."

Lily shook him off and tried to stop her tears. "I'm fine, I just need to be alone."

"Okay," Albus told her. He didn't want to leave her alone, but his thoughts were drifting back to Scorpius who was, no doubt, still half naked and waiting for him in bed.

Lily turned to leave but stopped short. "Oh, yeah, Mum wanted me to ask if you were ready yet. Clearly the answer is no."

Albus left out a soft chuckle. "I guess I should get ready. I bet everyone will be arriving soon."

"I hope so. Mum and Dad aren't so bad, but Uncle Ron still isn't over the feud he had at school with Scorpius' dad, so it's pretty tense downstairs. I can't wait until Aunt Hermione finishes work so she can sort him out."

Albus headed back to Scorpius' room where Scorpius was sat up straight on the bed. He was still only wearing his boxers, but he was holding his suit trousers tightly in his fist.

"You still haven't told them?" Scorpius' voice was hard and shaking slightly.

"I… It's just…"

"Albus, we've been together for almost a year; you need to tell them."

"I know I do, but I'm scared. What if they react badly?"

"It's 2022—they aren't going to care about your sexuality."

Albus let out a small laugh. "I guess you're right, but you can't tell me it's not nerve-wracking. Remember when you told your dad we were dating?"

"Oh, Merlin, that was an awkward conversation." Scorpius laughed, his grip on his trousers loosening.

* * *

 _Scorpius knocked on the door to his father's study. Albus shot him a smile, probably meaning to encourage him, but all it did was make Scorpius' already racing heart beat a little faster._

" _Come in," Draco called from behind the closed door. Scorpius opened it and walked into the room, leaving the room very slightly ajar behind him so that Albus could overhear. "Oh, Scorpius." Draco looked at him, and it was obvious to Scorpius that his father could read the anguish on his face. "What's the matter?"_

" _Have you got a minute?"_

" _Of course. Come and sit down."_

 _Draco conjured up an armchair, and Scorpius crossed the room to sit in it. He could see Albus' eyes through the opening in the door and smiled slightly._

" _I…" Scorpius faltered. He hadn't actually thought about what he was going to say to his father._

 _Draco's face softened and he put a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "Take your time with whatever it is."_

 _Scorpius took a couple of deep breaths, gathering the courage to get the words out._

" _Albus and I are together." The words came out in a rush, and Scorpius looked at his clasped hands resting in his lap._

 _He was waiting for his father's reaction, fearing the worse, but looked up when Draco let out a quiet laugh. The look in his eyes unnerved Scorpius; he hadn't seen it before. The once quiet laugh grew louder until Draco was almost doubled over, tears in his eyes._

 _Scorpius cast a glance to the door, and Albus' eyes were showing the confusion and alarm that Scorpius knew would be mirrored in his own. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting, maybe for his father to tell him Albus couldn't stay over anymore or that he'd tolerated their friendship but it had gone too far and he was going to pull Scorpius out of Hogwarts so he could never see Albus again, but he certainly wasn't expecting Draco to laugh._

" _What—"_

" _I know, Scorpius."_

" _You… What?" Scorpius' mouth dropped open as he digested his father's words. A quick glance at the door showed that Albus was just as shocked. Neither of them had any idea that Draco had known._

" _Well, putting silencing charms on your room might be a good idea. You can get quite loud."_

 _His already pale face drained of colour. Not only did his father already know that he and Albus were dating, but he had also heard them having sex. Scorpius felt like he was going to throw up. He wished more than anything to sink into his chair and disappear._

 _Draco stood up, walked over to Scorpius' chair, and wrapped his arms around his son. "Scorpius, there's no need to be so worried. Your mother and I will love you no matter what, even if it means I'll have to see more of Potter and his family."_

 _Scorpius shook his head, forcing himself to stop thinking about all the times his parents would have overheard him and Albus. He needn't have bothered, however, as not a moment later Albus walked through the door, the picture of calm, and startled Scorpius back into himself._

" _Speaking of my family, Mr. Malfoy, would you mind not saying anything to them? Only, I haven't exactly told them I'm gay, and something tells me that if they heard it from you, they wouldn't be too pleased."_

 _Scorpius looked between his father, who had moved back to his own seat when Albus had entered, and Albus. Draco's eyes lit up and a small smile started to spread across his face._

" _Not a problem, Albus. I'll keep it under lock and key." Draco sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but your parents aren't bad people. You really should tell them."_

 _Scorpius finally found his voice. "You're not mad that I'm dating a Potter?"_

 _He looked over to his father who appeared surprised by the question._

" _Scorpius, I let go of my hatred for Potter and his friends when his son was sorted into Slytherin and became your best friend. If you want to date Albus, then that's your business. All I ask is that we don't have to spend the holidays with them."_

 _Draco chuckled as he put forward his demand, and Scorpius understood that his father really was okay with his and Albus' relationship. It wasn't long before all of them were laughing, the fact that his parents had heard him having sex out of his mind for the moment (but Scorpius made sure to put a silencing charm up every night after that)._

* * *

Half an hour later, Albus was finally ready, and he and Scorpius started to make their way downstairs. When they reached the ground floor, Scorpius pulled Albus into an empty bathroom. Albus felt himself being pushed against the closing door, then Scorpius started kissing him, his hands running through Albus' hair. Albus kissed back, but all too soon Scorpius broke it off.

"What was that for?" Albus asked, hair dishevelled, heart racing, and panting slightly. The kiss had taken him by surprise, and he hadn't been ready for it to end either.

"Motivation," Scorpius told him with a smirk, a dangerous look in his eyes that Albus had seen all too often from him.

"What for?" Albus' voice was hard now. He was on his guard. Scorpius only got that look when he wanted something, and he always found a way to get it.

"Tell them tonight." Scorpius shook his head and quickly added, "Please."

"Tonight?" Albus' heart was racing again, but this time in fear rather than passion. "But what if they aren't okay with it? I know you, Rose and Lily have all said they'll be fine. Merlin, even your dad did. But what if? I'd hate to cause a scene at your parents' party." Albus' voice had sped up causing him to trip over his words.

Scorpius put his hands on either side of Albus' face, forcing him to look up. Scorpius' face was soft and full of concern. "Calm down, Al."

"Why tonight?" Albus asked in a small voice.

"Because I want to kiss my boyfriend at midnight," Scorpius told him, sounding almost sad. Then, with a soft laugh, he added, "What's the point of having a boyfriend if you can't kiss him on New Year's?"

Albus really took in Scorpius' expression. It was painfully clear to Albus just how much it meant to the other boy and he nodded his head. "Okay, I'll do it."

* * *

The party was in full swing, and Albus was enjoying himself much more than he thought he would. Scorpius had made sure that his father had invited the parents of their friends, so not only did he have Scorpius, Rose, Hugo and Lily there his own age (James had opted out of attending the party, choosing instead to spend it with one of his current girlfriends), but there were also the other Slytherins and even a couple of Rose and Lily's friends.

Albus was sat in one corner of the room playing a game of Never Have I Ever with the majority of their friends when he saw his mother heading towards the kitchen. Scorpius gave him a look, and Albus excused himself before hurrying after her.

"Mum?" Albus asked, closing the kitchen door behind him. His mother was fetching bottles of champagne out of the fridge.

"Albus?" Ginny turned to face her son, a concerned look on her face. She took in his expression, one that Albus was sure was radiating fear and uncertainty. "What's the matter?"

"I…" Albus trailed off, not knowing where to start.

Ginny put the bottle of champagne she was holding on the side and sat down on a nearby bar stool. She didn't say anything, giving Albus a look that let him know to take his time.

Choosing not to draw it out any longer, Albus looked at his feet and started talking.

"I really don't know how I'm going to say this, but I've been meaning to tell you for a long time. I know how Uncle Ron reacted to me getting sorted into Slytherin, and Dad wasn't too happy that I befriended a Malfoy. You've always been okay with it, so I thought I'd come to you. Merlin, this is hard. I'm suddenly regretting my decision to tell you, but I've been trying to work up the courage for years; I guess there's a reason why I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor." Albus took a breath, but he continued to speed up as he spoke.

"I'm gay, and I know that it might come as a surprise—though, I've never had a girlfriend so maybe not. I've tried to keep it quiet because I was scared of your reaction, but now I've told you, so I guess that's it. I'll stay here tonight, and then I'll go and pack my things tomorrow because I understand if you want me to move out."

Albus finished his speech in a rush of words and looked up at his mother. She was laughing. "What—"

"Oh, Al," Ginny said, still chuckling to herself. "Don't be silly. We've known you were gay since you were eight years old. Well, I did. I do need to find your Uncle Ron; I believe he owes me five galleons."

"You placed a bet on my sexuality?" Albus wasn't sure whether to be outraged or laugh. He could imagine his cousins and Uncle George placing bets, but his own mother?

"Multiple bets, actually. Your Uncle George owes me ten galleons; he thought you'd come out as bisexual rather than gay. Poor Ron, though. He was sure you'd take after James. I think he's going to lose about thirty galleons, maybe more. He bet against almost everyone."

Albus was in shock. He'd been getting worked up for _years_ about telling his family, and here they were making bets on him.

"Oh, Albus. Don't look like that." Ginny walked the length of the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Albus. "We love you. That's not going to change just because you're dating Scorpius."

"I didn't say anything about Scorp—"

Ginny let go of Albus, cutting him off mid-sentence. She was bouncing and sporting the widest grin Albus had ever seen on her face.

"I knew it!" She was laughing again. "I knew it! That's another five galleons your Uncle Ron owes me."

"You bet on me dating Scorpius?" Albus was still in shock. He'd never seen this side of his mother before.

"Oh yeah, of course we did. Draco, Hermione, and I were the only ones that thought you wou—"

"You made a bet with Scorpius' father?"

"Well, no. He and I seemed to agree. He did make a bet with your father, though. Draco thought… Hang on." Ginny looked at Albus properly and noticed the smile spreading across his face that he was trying to hide. "He knew! That little snake. Well, I suppose he was a Slytherin."

She was laughing to herself even more now. Albus was still a little outraged that his family was placing bets on him, but he was starting to see the funny side of it too and was relieved that his family didn't seem to mind.

Ginny's eyes flicked up resting just above Albus' head. "Oh, Merlin! Look at the time. It's nearly midnight. Albus, help me take these drinks through to the other room." Ginny leant in closer to him as she handed him two bottles of champagne. "And don't forget to kiss Scorpius at midnight. It is a New Year's tradition, you know."

Albus laughed as he moved away from his mother. "You just want to see Uncle Ron's reaction."

"Well, yes. There is that as well."

The two of them were still laughing as they carried the bottles of champagne through to the drawing room. Albus set the bottles down on the side and rejoined Scorpius, Rose, and the rest of his friends who were now by the fire. They were conveniently in the centre of the room, and Albus knew that Ron would get a good view from where they stood.

"What's so funny?" Scorpius asked as he noticed the smirk on Albus' face. Albus just shook his head in response.

The clock struck midnight and a cheer followed by a chorus of "Happy New Year" rang out around the room. Albus, feeling confident after his conversation with his mother, turned to Scorpius, placed one hand on his cheek, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Scorpius let out a small gasp and Albus could feel him pulling away, probably to ask what the hell Albus was doing, not knowing how well Albus' conversation with his mother had gone, but Albus just pulled him closer. A couple of seconds later, Albus could feel Scorpius return the kiss, happiness radiating off him and infecting Albus, making him almost giddy.

When they broke apart, Albus could feel that all the eyes in the room were on them.

"What brought that on?" Scorpius asked, obviously in shock from Albus' sudden burst of courage.

"Well, what's the point in having a boyfriend if you can't kiss him on New Year's?" Albus mimicked Scorpius' words from earlier with a chuckle before adding, "I love you, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. Nothing my family could ever say is going to change that."

Scorpius shuddered slightly at the used of his middle name, but the happiness Albus had felt from him during the kiss had not dimmed any. In fact, it seemed to be radiating from him even more.

"I love you too, Al."

Albus let Scorpius pull him in for another kiss. As he did, Albus heard a glass smash on the floor and an exclamation of "What?" that sounded like it came from his Uncle Ron.

* * *

 **Word Count:** 2,994.

* * *

 **This is also for:**

 _ **Hogwarts Funfair Event – String Pull;**_

 _(character) Albus Potter._

 _(word) Confused._

 _(word) Together._

 _ **Hogwarts Funfair Event – Hedge Maze;**_

 _Left: (dialogue) "Maybe I am a total bitch, had you thought of that?"_

 _ **Gringotts Prompt Bank;**_

 _Words instead of said – Added, Asked, Exclaimed, Told._

 _Feelings and Emotion – Alarmed, Concerned, Confident, Embarrassed, Scared, Surprised, Uncertain, Worried._

 _ **The Valentine-Making Station;**_

 _Green Ribbon – Write about a Slytherin._

 _Conversation Hearts: Hold Hands – Write about young love._


End file.
